Vision Statement

“Resurrection Church is a place where people who are seeking more Grace, More Depth, and More community can find their way and share their gifts with others.”

We don’t claim to have the “market cornered” on Grace, Depth, and Community, we merely realize these are the things we need and as a church we hope to seek more, find more, and share more together.

More Grace

Sin is the problem we all face each day. The answer to this problem is not more legalism, more rules, or more religious activities…

We Need More Grace

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own going; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that one one may boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9

More Depth

We are often faced with hard situations and difficult questions in our lives. We do not need more easy answers or to pretend these realities don’t exist…

We Need More Depth

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” -James 1:2–5

More Community

We live in a time with infinite opportunities to communicate and yet we are plagued with loneliness and isolation…

We Need More Community

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” -Philippians 2:3–4

Our Values

Majoring on the Majors

At Resurrection Church we want to major on the majors by putting the foundations of our faith front and center. These “majors” are summarized well in the “5 Solas of the Reformation” below:

Scripture Alone - We affirm that the Bible is the only place where one can find the revealed Word of God to his people. Scripture is our final authority to direct everything we do at Resurrection Church.

Grace Alone - We affirm that is only by God’s grace sinful people can have any hope of forgiveness and salvation from God. Christians are not “better” than anyone else and we did nothing to merit our standing before God. Instead, out of God’s sheer grace and mercy we has chosen to love rebellious, sinful, and imperfect people.

Faith Alone - We are made right before God through faith alone in Jesus. If we are saved by grace then surely our status before God cannot be based on our moral performance, otherwise we would never be able to stand before him. Instead, we simply trust in the perfect righteous life of Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death on our behalf.

Christ Alone - We affirm there is only one way for mankind to be made right with God, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone. No other sacrifice will do. No other system of beliefs or religion can compare. There is no other place where mankind can go to be made right with God other than Chris alone.

Glory of God Alone - All of God’s plans, his works, and especially the reason for our salvation is to bring glory to God alone. He alone is worthy of all praise and honor and glory.

Sharing the Ministry

We believe the work of the ministry belongs to the congregation. We seek to foster a community of congregational participation. One example of this is the structure of our Sunday worship services. Sunday is a time when the people of God worship together. Our music is chosen to encourages congregational singing, rather than passive listening. We have responsive readings from scripture, congregational prayers said in unison, and a profession of our shared faith using historic creeds and confessions. It is the gathered people who sing, who pray, who confess, and who worship our Lord together.

We are also Presbyterian which simply means our church is governed by multiple elders. Our church leadership is not a one man show, instead qualified men are chosen by the congregation to become elders who shepherd the congregation as equals.

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” -Ephesians 4:11–12"

Knowing One Another

We believe the church is at it’s core a community, the gathered people of God, not an impersonal institution or voluntary association. Resurrection Church values having personal connections with one another, praying for one another, being involved in one another’s lives, and encouraging one another in the Lord. The Bible speaks of the church as being the family of God and a body working together. This imagery ought to stir in us a longing for a community where deep relationships can be formed and we can grow in our love for God together.

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” -Acts 2:46–47

Going To Others

The Mission of God is to bring redemption to the world through Jesus Christ. As the people of God, we are participants in what He is doing in the world both locally and globally as God’s Spirit empowers and directs our lives.

Locally - We are called to love our neighbors, both our literal neighbors and our broader community. Resurrection Church is committed to the local mission of the church to make disciples through love and service in our community. We are also committed to continually planting new gospel-preaching churches in Fargo and nearby areas.

Globally- The need for gospel ministry extends well beyond our borders and into difficult places. Resurrection Church is committed to supporting the mission of God as it reaches out to people far and wide.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:18–20

Why Start a New Church?

Resurrection Church is a new church community in the Fargo-Moorhead area, which begs the question why start a new church? The mission to start new churches is what Christians have done ever since the beginning. God raises up disciples to travel to new places, tell the people about his grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, and form new communities of disciples to worship, pray, and live life together as a local gathering of Christ’s people.

There are many churches in Fargo, but our city is also growing quickly. New churches help to reach people who:

Are new to the area

Do not have a connection to a local church

Have not been to church in years

Want to be involved

Share our mission, vision, and theological distinctives

We are not in competition with other churches, instead we see ourselves as partners to reach the people in our area who don’t yet know the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether you consider yourself a believer, a doubter, born-again, or unsure, we would love to meet you, pray with you, and walk with you as God works in the midst of our new community.

To learn more about the effectiveness and vision for church planting click here to read an excellent article by Pastor Tim Keller.

What is the pca?

The PCA was formed to be a denomination that is “Faithful to the Scriptures, True to the Reformed Faith, and Obedient to the Great Commission.” The PCA is an Evangelical and Reformed Presbyterian denomination.

Evangelical -By Evangelical, we mean that we emphasize the gospel (good news of salvation) through faith in Jesus Christ, as well as affirming historic Christian doctrines and holding to the inerrancy of Scripture.

Reformed -By Reformed, we mean that we are connected to the teachings of the historic church and the doctrinal beliefs recovered during the Protestant Reformation. These doctrinal beliefs are expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. All elders and deacons of the Presbyterian Church in America must personally subscribe to and uphold the teachings of our confession. For a great overview and introduction to the reformed faith we suggest you explore this free video series by Dr. R.C. Sproul.

Presbyterian -By Presbyterian, we describe our representative form of church government. Local churches are governed by a “Session” of “presbyters” (elders). These elders are elected by the members of the congregation. Elders from each local church compose a regional “presbytery” and a national “General Assembly.”

Meet Our Pastor

John St. Martin -

Planting Pastor

John was born and raised in Minnesota. He has worked as a small business owner, college campus minister, and most recently he served at Grace Presbyterian Church in Sioux Falls, SD as their Assistant Pastor for Church Planting. He is a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato (B.S. Management) and Covenant Theological Seminary (Mdiv). John is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America.

John has been married to his wife for 11 years and they have three daughters. In his free time, John enjoys disc golf, board games, and road biking.